Safety device for railroad crossings



March 18, 1924; 1,487,511

L. T. DOUVIER SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD'CROSSINGS Filed Jan. 24, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fI G. 8'.

Efiarch 18, 392% L.T.DOUVER SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS Filed Jan. 24, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet w nk Q J k 3 Marc? 18 1924. 3,487,553

' L. T. DOUVIER SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS Filed Jan. 24, 192-4 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3n um x f or March 18 1924.

L. T. DOUVIER SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS Filed Jan. 24, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 H III in I l I IL II IIII gwueu fox Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,487,511 PATENT orrica.

LAWRENCE '1. DOUVIEB, OF AMBOY, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CBOSSII Q'GS.

Application filed January 24, 1924. Serial No. 688,127.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LAWRENCE T. DOUVIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amboy, in the county of Lee and State of -Illinois,has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Railroad Crossings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

vThis invention is in the way of a safety device for railroad crossings and has reference to automatically operated semaphores, and the main object is to provide a device that will cause motorists to check the speed of their vehiclesat the approach of a railroad crossing. Another object is to provide such a device wherein the weight of the vehicle will serve to raise the special semaphore arms provided. A further object is to provide a locking device that will autofrom the accompanying drawing and specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan" View, sections being broken out to show the construction of the concrete base;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the working arrangement beneath the road platform; the platform being removed;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the locking device and the springs;

Fi re 4 is a. longitudinal vertical section showmg the shock absorbing link connection between the road platforms and the special semaphore arms; C

Figure 5 isa cross section;

Figure 6 is a detail of the lockin device;

Figure 7 is a detail of the shock a sorbing link;

Figure 8 is a detail of the laminated springs and channel bases;

Figure 9 is a detail showing the platform leaves journaled in bearings mounted on the concrete case;

Figure 10 is a diagram of the electrical arrangement.

.In carrying out this invention I provide a concrete base 1, adjacent a railroad crossing 48, said base being divided into compartments 2, 3 and 4, by the walls 5 and 6. Concrete piers 7 are formedat the junction of the wa is 5 and 6. Apertures 8 and 9 are cut in the walls 5 and 6 and rises 10 are formed at the side of the walls 6 for a purpose to be later explained. Tracks 11 are secured onthe inner sides of the walls of *the base 1 and'on both sides of the wall 5.

Coil spr ins 12 and laminated springs 13 are secure to the base 1 in line with the center of the tracks 11. The laminated springs 13 are secured to links 14; the said links 14 are hingedly secured to channel-like bases '15. Primary I beams 16 are placed 18 pass'through the apertures 9 of walls 6 and have arms 21 secured thereto. Leaves 22 are journaled in' bearings 23, and lap over the edges of the road platforms 19 to I avoid sudden bumps and to prevent dirt and snow from getting into the base 1. Semaphore bases 24 are secured to the concrete piers 7. S ecial semaphore arms 25 havmg red re ectors 26 secured to their forward ends and balancing weights 27 to their rear ends are journaled in the semaphore bases 24. Shock absorbing links28, consisting of eye bolts 29, turn buckles 30,

springs 31, bolts 32 and 33 and plates 31,

connect the special semaphore arms 25 with the arms 21. The'holes 35 in the plate 34 are of a greater diameter than the bolts 33 to permit raising the special semaphore arms 25, from either side of the semaphore bases 24 without interfering with the opposite side. Locking devices 51 are installed in the compartment 3 underneath the road platforms 19, to prevent raising the special semaphore arms 21 from the approach sides upon the approach of a train. The locking devices 51 comprise bases 36, having bearing supports 37 incorporated therein; locking bars 38 pivotally mounted between the bearing supports 37; and bars 39 and 40 pivoted between the locking bars 38. Brackets 41 are secured to the wall -5. Springs 42 are secured by one or their ends to the bars 39 and by their other ends to the brackets 41. Rods 43 having eyes. formed in one end and plates secured to the other end, are passed through the apertures 8 of the wall 5 and are secured to the bars 40 by means of links 44. Solenoids 45 are mounted in the compartment 2, in line with the locking devices 51,- and when charged with electricity will draw the'rods 43 toward them, and hold them there, until the current is cut oil. In order to operate the solenoids 45, a battery 46 and a relay 47 are provided. The tracks'48 are insulated as shown at 52 and properly wired up with the solenoids 45, the battery 46 and the relay 47, as shown in Figure 10. A switch 49 is located between ethe relay '47 and the solenoids 45 to permit the cutting 05 of the electric current when a train stops at a crossing. Plates 50 having slots cut therein to permit the bolts 33 to pass through them are placed over the compartments 4 and secured t6 the rises 10 and the walls of the base 1, to prevent dirt and other refuse from getting into the said compartments 4.

In use a semaphore with the above described device is located on each side of the tracks 48.

In 0 eration a vehicle approaching the railroa crossing moves onto the road platform 19 which rests on the coil springs 12 and causes the said coil springs to compress due to the added weight. Upon the compression of the coil springs, the road platform lowers and draws the arms 21 down by means of the secondary E beams 18, thus'pulling the shock absorbing link 28 downward and-raising the special semaphore. arms 25, which permits the vehicle to pass. Normally the locking bars 38 are in a slanting position, being held that way by the springs 42. When a train comes within the insulation upon the tracks 48,

thesolenoids 45 are charged with electricity,

causing them to draw the rods 42 toward themselves, overcoming the springs and raising the locking bars, thus locking the road platforms'and keeping same looked as long as the train is within the insulation. Upon passing out of the insulation the current is out o whereupon the springs again come into play and .draiv the locking bars into their normal position. Any machine caught between the semaphores at the time of locking may easily escape by raising the special semaphore arms 2i 1n the usual manner, there being no locking device provided for the road latforms nearest the tracks. The laminate springs 13 are provided to prevent the coil springs from breaking in the event a vehicle or" great weight passes onto the road platform.

While I have herein described a certain 1. In combination with a railroad crossing having insulated rails; a safety device, com

prising a base; tracks, secured to the walls of the base; coil and laminated springs mounted on the base, in line with the tracks;

primary 4 beams. engaging the tracks and resting on the coil. springs; secondary I heams, secured to the primary 1' beams; road 1 platforms, secured to the secondary l. beams;

arms, secured to the ends of the secondary I beams; semaphore bases, mounted on the base; special semaphore arms, journaled in the semaphore bases; red reflectors, secured to the forward ends of the special semaphore arms; balance weights, secured to the rear ends of the special semaphore arms; shock absorbing links, connecting the rear end of the special semaphore arms with the arms secured to the secondary l beams; leaves, journaled to the base; plates, resting on the base; locking devices, mounted on the base beneath the road platforms; solenoids, mounted on the base beneath the road platforms, to operate the locking devices; a battery, a relay and a switch operatively wired up with the solenoids and the insulated railroad tracks.

2. In combination with a railroad crossing, having insulated tracks; a safety device. comprising a hase; tracks, secured to the walls of the base; coil springs and channellihe bases, mounted on the base in line with the tracks; laminated springs, hingedly mounted in the channel-like bases; primary ll beams resting on the coil springs and engaging the traclrs; secondary If beams se cured to the primary Ii beams; road platforms, secured to the secondary beams;

arms, secured to the ends of the secondary I beams; semaphore bases, mounted on the base; special semaphore arms, carrying red bolts to pass therethrough, securedto the walls of the base; tracks, having hearing supports incorporated therein, mounted on the base; stop bars, pivoted in the bearing supports; bars, pivoted to the stop bars;

brackets, secured to one oi" the walls of the lease; springs secured to the brackets and some of the bars; rods, having eyes formed therein and plates secured thereto, slidingly passed through the above mentioned Wall; links, connecting the remaining bars with the aforementioned rods; solenoids, mounted on the base, in line With the said rods, to operate the same; a battery, a relay and a switch, properly wired u with the insulated tracks and the solenoi s, to operate the same.

3. A device of the kind described,.comprising a base; tracks secured to the walls of the base; primary I beams, engaging the tracks, road platforms, secured to the primary I beams; means for lowering and raising'the primary I beams; arms secured to the road platforms; semaphore bases, having arms carrying red reflectors journaled therein, secured to the base; means for connecting the arms secured to the road platforms with the arms journaled in the semaphore bases; means for preventing dirt and snow from getting beneath the road platforms; means for locking the approach side road platforms; insulated railroad tracks; and means for operating the locking device in connection with the insulated railroad for. locking the approach side road platforms; and means for operating the locking means upon the approach of a train. 1 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LAWRENCE T. DOUVIER. Witnesses: FRANK C. VAUGHAN,

JAMES B. KEEPER. 

